The rise of the male beauty blogger

According to Pixability’s Beauty on YouTube 2015 report, there are 45.3 billion beauty tutorials on YouTube and this number is only growing.

But not all of these beauty tutorials feature a female blogger. More and more males have been taking to the beauty spotlight, uploading videos on everything from beards and man buns to make-up and skin care tutorials.

We chat to Ken Valdejueza (ThePopHeir) who has 5,272 YouTube subscribers, to find out more about being a male vlogger in a predominantly female field and what he thinks we should be doing differently with our make-up…

Q: What made you want to start a YouTube channel about beauty?

A: I initially started my channel with the intention of it being a variety music channel but it evolved into a beauty channel [as that’s what] really interests me. I love seeing how people can transform themselves with make-up and how it can empower oneself. I really wanted to be part of this and share my thoughts and opinions on the latest in the beauty industry.

Q: Where did you learn how to create such amazing make-up looks?

A: I learned through watching YouTubers such as Pixiwoo, Gossmakeupartist and Michelle Phan.

RELATED: Celebrity selfie secrets

Q: Is your audience mostly male or female?

A: My audience is mostly female.

Q: Why do you think that is?

A: I believe it is because make-up and beauty are topics females can relate to more than males.

Q: What do you think you can teach women about make-up that female vloggers can’t?

A: I think seeing a male’s point of view when it comes to make-up helps [to] broaden one’s view of things. I think it is especially helpful for female make-up artists to know what some men prefer when it comes to their make-up. As you know the male and female skin are very different thus have different needs and wants. For example when it comes to concealing facial hair shadow, [it doesn’t] matter how close of a shave you do, you will still be able to see the facial hair colour and some foundations do not cover it all completely.

Q: As a male, what’s one thing you wish women would do differently when it comes to make-up?

A: I would have to say blend your foundation a lot more. Not all females have this problem but some definitely do. It’s completely understandable that you may not be able to find your exact shade in a foundation, but if you are exposing a lot of skin such as the neck, chest and a bit of the breast, [you should] definitely blend your foundation/powder more. [You don’t] necessarily have [to] apply the same amount [on your] neck and chest as [you do on your] face, but blend it down to give a bit of a gradience [to avoid] a harsh line of foundation.

Q: Which video did you have the most fun creating?

A: I had a lot of fun doing the Instagram Trend: Strobing video. I had fun trying the new technique on camera and sharing my thoughts and opinions with my subscribers. I [also] had fun editing it [as] I had recently upgraded to better editing software and I love adding the special effects.

Q: What has been your best moment in terms of your channel to date?

A: The best moment has got to be when I finally reached five thousand subscribers. This was significant, as it indicated to me there are that many people [who] think my work is worth watching.